Byrnesville, Former coal mining settlement in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States.
Byrnesville was a coal mining settlement in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, divided into two sections: Upper and Lower Byrnesville. These communities lay along Route 61 between the towns of Centralia and Ashland, serving as small residential areas for miners and their families.
The settlement was founded in 1856 by coal workers who settled in the region to benefit from mining activities. An underground coal fire that spread in the 1980s made living there increasingly dangerous and eventually forced residents to evacuate.
The community was shaped by Irish Catholic traditions that defined how residents lived together. People regularly gathered at the nearby St. Ignatius Church in Centralia to share their faith and build community bonds.
The abandoned settlement remains in an inaccessible condition due to ongoing underground fire hazards that persist in the area. Visitors should be aware that the location is mostly deserted today and it is important to keep away from unsecured areas.
A religious shrine to the Virgin Mary still stands on the hillside beside Route 61, marking the spot where the final house was demolished in 1996. This monument serves as a reminder of the community's spiritual roots and attachment to the place, despite their forced departure.
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